President Bola Tinubu has celebrated the recognition of National Commission for Museums and Monuments Director-General Olugbile Holloway in the inaugural TIME100 Art List, highlighting his efforts to advance the recovery, conservation and exhibition of returned Benin artefacts.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulates the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Olugbile Holloway, on his inclusion in the inaugural TIME100 Art list of the 100 most influential people shaping the future of art.

According to a statement by Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, the President said the recognition reflected the important work Holloway and the Commission have undertaken to recover Nigeria’s cultural treasures and renew the institutions responsible for preserving them.

Since his appointment in March 2024, Holloway has worked with His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, to establish a clear framework for the retrieval, conservation and exhibition of returned Benin artefacts.

The understanding, Tinubu noted, strengthened Nigeria’s position in negotiations with foreign governments, universities and museums.

Under his leadership, the Commission secured the return of 119 Benin Bronzes from the Netherlands and the legal transfer of 116 Benin Bronzes from the University of Cambridge. Eighteen Benin Bronzes and four Ikom monoliths were also recently returned from Switzerland.

The Commission has also launched Nigeria’s first digital museum of antiquities, with more than 200 objects from the National Museum, Lagos, scanned in three dimensions and made available through an immersive online platform.

President Tinubu commended the renovation of the National Museum, Lagos, including its upgraded galleries, modern display systems, and improved facilities for preserving and presenting Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

The President described the return of Nigeria’s cultural property as an important act of historical justice and a restoration of the dignity and memory of the communities from which the objects were taken.

He applauded Holloway for the diplomacy and institutional leadership he has brought to the Commission and congratulated the NCMM staff on the international recognition of their work.

President Tinubu urges the Commission to sustain its efforts to recover Nigeria’s cultural property, improve museums across the country and make the nation’s history more accessible to young Nigerians.